With their first two albums "I" and "II" the mysterious trio Darkspace quickly made name for themselves. Both albums where hymns to utter space, but focused on different aspects. Whereas "I" was faster and denser, "II" was a lot slower and focusing much more on the ambient side of their music. On "III" (it's getting annoying, isn't it?) they picked up the pace again, but maintained the ambient, free-flowing distortion of the second album. With these combined factors it is easily their best material up to date.

Perhaps the production is the best factor of the entire album. Allowing the guitars to freely waver around with their dark, yet natural sound, they put up an entire wall of sound without becoming boring or monotone. The drums play a very insignificant role, often they are completely buried underneath the static.

Each band members contributes to the vocals, all three utilizing a pained shriek, thus resulting in a vortex of dying screams. Often you hardly notice there actually is some shrieking going on, because the tormed screams of the wicked are very distorted and so soft in the mix the unaccostumed listener can easily mistake them for guitar distortion. And then there are the keyboards. At times stirring and grant, enlarging the wall of sound, at other times clear and bright, like twinkling stars, they push the ambience to astral heights.

With their spaced out Ambient Black Metal Darkspace strongly reminds me of Kubrick's masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey", a classic movie which perfectly captured the essence of the vast overwhelming silence of space - even with a soundtrack. And as such "III" also captivates the listener, and with a constant wall of sound, tricks him into feeling an overwhelming emptiness.

"III" does what most Depressive/Ambient/Suicidal Black Metal fails to do. It is a preview of death, as Atheism perceives it. No thoughts, no feelings, no emotions, nothing. Gravity withdraws itself and the void opens up. Allow yourself a temporary blissfull freedom and succumb yourself into nihil. All suicidal souls set for departure...

i noticed a lot of death metal riffs, making the overall the sound way catchier than their previous albums.

i'm not quite sure if this is my fav release from them, Dark space I was my first encounter with the band and it remains a special album for me. maybe with time this will sound better. a definite highlight of the year.

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Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men.

I think I can understand him, The "wall of sound" that Darkspace creates is waaaaaay louder and potent that Transilvanian Hunger imo. And maybe that can be the rawer thing.

I really love Darkspace music and find it really inteligent for the genre it stands for, since ambient black metal is an either-you're-great-or-just-shit genre imho.

raw was perhaps the wrong choice in words... i can also understand why some might find this unappealing.

i've had a predilection for ambient music for a long, ling time (even if clueless as to where/how to seek it out for a while) so i enjoy the unholy marriage of ambient and black, particularly with the whole "space" theme.

nothing is more terrifying to me than trying to grasp cosmic distances or the fact that ultimately as the universe continues to expand, everything will get ripped farther and farther apart - down to the atomic level - and all that void will be filled with dark matter... or darkspace, if you will.

i find their approach far more unnerving than the standard, boring, same old "satan satan satan" crap.

nothing is more terrifying to me than trying to grasp cosmic distances or the fact that ultimately as the universe continues to expand, everything will get ripped farther and farther apart - down to the atomic level - and all that void will be filled with dark matter... or darkspace, if you will.

i find their approach far more unnerving than the standard, boring, same old "satan satan satan" crap.

I completely agree with that. Those things that you just don't know are the scariest ones. Another example would be the ocean imo, you just don't really know all things down there. That's why Ahab concept was scarry as hell for me.

I know both bands are different, but both have really scarry concepts behind the music that I trully love.

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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29Like you could kiss my ass

nothing is more terrifying to me than trying to grasp cosmic distances or the fact that ultimately as the universe continues to expand, everything will get ripped farther and farther apart - down to the atomic level - and all that void will be filled with dark matter... or darkspace, if you will.

Exactly my sentiments. Which is why the Total Perspective Vortex works.

----SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama

Chilling listen that's for sure. Overall I think the album is good, I enjoy pretty much everything though the fast paced black metal parts are sometimes a little tedious. Love the chugging guitars blended in with the gazing keys. The quiet interludes are also pretty gung-ho.

Definitely have to be in the mood and the right setting though.

----Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln